Paul McCartney has officially become an oldies act.
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Kestrel:
One aspect I think is important to take in consideration is his age. Paul is nearly 67 now and maybe its just not easy for him anymore to learn (or re-learn) songs he initially perfromed 10,20, 30 years ago? Much as i hate the idea,it probably is alot easier for Paul to keep playing the same songs he knows inside out,with perhaps a half a dozen newish songs added,rather than have the worry of rehearsing and remembering a whole host of new songs. Paul could perform Yesterday and Live And Let Die and Hey Jude in his sleep,which is probably the main reason he's so keen on performing them.
...hmmm. Reverse psychology .... ...nice tactic.
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Interesting...I just read page one of this thread and it started out as a critique of the Liverpool event (which I was also at ). As much as I LOVE Paul and as much as I've staunchly defended him, I DO understand what many are saying. I've been to 9 of his concerts over the years and not too much on his set list has changed. He does have such a repitoire of music and while I think he "needs" to play many of his classic Beatle songs (Hey Jude, Let It Be, etc) I do think that adding more of his Wings songs and of his solo career would be a nice change up to the fans that have been going to see him these past ten years. Don't get me wrong; he's still "allowed" to do whatever the heck he wants, and I'd be happy no matter what...but I DO understand the sentiments here of those desiring "change." Hey, Paul_..."Sing the changes!!"_
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McCartney is always fantastic live, but there's absolutely no justification for dragging out the same setlist over and over and over! His recent shows are getting rave reviews, but that's easy to do when you're just playing everything the crowd expects! Sure there are a few changes, and I do mean a few, but overall it's just more of the same old, same old! Paul McCartney seriously needs to change his setlist, if he's not going to do massive world tours anymore than there's really no excuse for dragging out the same songs all the time! In fact even if he does massive world tours there's no excuse for dragging out the same songs, especially when you have tons of incredible songs just screaming to be performed live!
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left hand man:
McCartney is always fantastic live, but there's absolutely no justification for dragging out the same setlist over and over and over! His recent shows are getting rave reviews, but that's easy to do when you're just playing everything the crowd expects! Sure there are a few changes, and I do mean a few, but overall it's just more of the same old, same old! Paul McCartney seriously needs to change his setlist, if he's not going to do massive world tours anymore than there's really no excuse for dragging out the same songs all the time! In fact even if he does massive world tours there's no excuse for dragging out the same songs, especially when you have tons of incredible songs just screaming to be performed live!
left hand man,i have always been on your side concerning the set list,but i think you seem to be going over old ground continuously,and if your not careful you are going to sound like a broken record.
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[quote="BOYCIE"]I don't expect Paul to drop the Holy Trinity of Hey Jude,Yesterday,Let It be and the other concert staples,but songs like Drive My Car,Sgt Pepper,I Saw Her Standing There,Eleanor Rigby and Back In The USSR could be given a rest. I have been lucky, in that the 6 times i've seen Paul he has changed his setlist by about 16 songs,so it did feel a different gig every time,but in the 5 years since i last saw him in 2004 it's not changed that much.I think most fans don't expect obscurities,but Paul has such a vast back catalogue of well known songs, it need not be a hardcore fans only concert.I think surprises at a gig are what gives a audience a buzz and a adrenalin rush,if it's too predictable you lose that intense feeling.I just hope if he tours we will get a few changes just to spice things up and too lose the predictability of it all. Great points Boycie. I understand that the majority of the crowd at most Macca shows are "casual" fans and that we (the hardcore fans) are more in the minority. With that in mind, I would never be disappointed with Paul doing his "standards" at a live show. In fact it is kind of neat watching the "casual" fans go nuts when they hear the opening chords of Let It Be or Hey Jude. But I'm very pereplexed why Paul doesn't mix the setlist up to a far greater extent Even from a money point of view, a new "Live" DVD would sell alot more if he did more songs not on previous DVD's. The "U tube" videos at Cochella show Macca and band to be in fine form. But to open the Show with Drive My Car and then Jet AGAIN just doesn't make sense to me. It was great in the 2002 tour when he opened with Hello Goodbye because it was a surprise and hadn't been done before, but he needs to especially give songs like Jet, Let Me Roll It to you and Flaming Pie a rest. Not that their bad songs but no one is walking away from a Macca show saying "why didn't he do Jet". If he opens Coachella with a big surprise (i.e. Venus and Mars/Rock Show or So Glad to See You Hear followed by Junior's Farm then you have something. I would definitely buy a new Macca live DVD if he does something like that. And like you said, these are not "obsurities". Even for younger fans maybe not familiar with these songs, they are rockers that people instantly love and get the crowd going. Again, he would be attracting new fans just by playing them. Paul has such a great catalogue. It's a shame that Paul doesn't broaden his Setlist and throw more songs that could be great live songs into the mix.
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The only chance to see Paul with a new refresh setlist is sent to him a request by many many fans over the world. As the kiev fans with Mrs Vanderbilt request. The solution more easy for me is a request for a special gig for hardcore fans. Only one date to play 35 rare and never played songs.
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Boycie, a very wise man said, it's not what you hear, but what you keep hearing that counts. I want to sound like a broken record when it comes to McCartney's setlist, persistently requesting a setlist change is the only chance that it will ever happen, and it seriously needs to happen, time is running out!
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A set list change doesn't seriously need to happen, some fans would like it. There's a difference. it seems the fans at the last few concerts have been extremely happy, on their feet, singing and dancing to the music. No down time, no head scratching wondering what song that was. Just a great time. He can't please everyone, but he is pleasing the concert goers. Not everyone has seen him before.
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A very Mccartney fans want a new refresh setlist, the occasional fans no.
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His surprise shows/one off concerts of the past year or two have had pretty similar set lists. However, just prior to that, I recall the 2005 'US' tour being a fairly significant departure from his usual fare. Off course, some of the 'must haves' that have always been on the set list (Hey Jude, Let It Be, Yesterday, and few others) were still included. But I'd guess that the number of songs I hadn't heard him perform before included almost half the set list. Of course, I didn't cross the pond to Europe to see him the prior year where a lot of these 'new inclusions' made their debut (Helter Skelter, I've Got A Feeling, I'll Follow The Sun, For No One, etc)...So he's capable of mixing it up
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I was quite impressed that we didnt hear Yesterday at his 'secret' shows and I have to say it didnt bother me. my first 2 shows were Yesterday free...I am of course glad I heard it live though eventually
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Ditch Wix. He as "musical director" has the most influence on the setlist. If that influence was to fall more toward Brian and Rusty, we'd have a great chance for a serious setlist change.
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moptops:
Ditch Wix. He as "musical director" has the most influence on the setlist. If that influence was to fall more toward Brian and Rusty, we'd have a great chance for a serious setlist change.
Yeah i agree........ i was listening to wings over America the other day and it was great to hear a REAL brass section instead of wixs poxy organ.
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As much as I like Wix and admire his ability and contribution to Paul's career, I agree that his presence on stage limits rather than helps Paul deliver the best possible show. I was at the Roundhouse Electric Proms show a couple of years ago and hearing Paul perform "Calico Skies" with the real orchestral string backing was one of my favourite concert-going memories. You just can't beat real instruments. Even the best synthesisers still sound like synthesisers. It would be incredible to hear Paul being backed by a brass section and a string section rather than Wix - and a real sax solo on "Lady Madonna" would be a welcome change than the horrible honking you can hear on some of the live recordings (the 1993 "Paul Is Live" album is a great example). I think Paul's music deserves more. The live band have a great guitar and drum sound - if they could ditch the keyboards in favour of live instruments (apart from when they actually need the synth sounds like on "Band On The Run") then it'd be perfect. Anyway, give Wix his due - he's given Paul 20 years of dedicated service, but it is definitely time for a change, before it's too late.
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moggy:
Yeah i agree........ i was listening to wings over America the other day and it was great to hear a REAL brass section instead of wixs poxy organ.
Unfortunately, Wix and his poxy organ work out cheaper than a real brass section. And where Macca is concerned,its all about making money.
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Kestrel:
And where Macca is concerned,its all about making money.
You may be joking, but I want to say that I strongly disagree. I don't think Paul wants to lose money when he performs, but I don't believe for a minute that that making money is Paul's incentive when he plans tours or does live shows. He may be too reliant on Wix's organisational skills and may need to come out of his comfort zone a little, but this is what happens when you work with someone for 20 years.
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corchians:
The only chance to see Paul with a new refresh setlist is sent to him a request by many many fans over the world. As the kiev fans with Mrs Vanderbilt request. The solution more easy for me is a request for a special gig for hardcore fans. Only one date to play 35 rare and never played songs.
I think you just proved the point of quite a few people. These fans asked for a song off BOTR, not a Beatle song. McCartney played it and they went wild and now he has added it to his setlist. I know I personally have enjoyed watching and hearing youtube clips of Mrs. Vanderbilt.
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Dustbin Lid:
Kestrel:
And where Macca is concerned,its all about making money.
You may be joking, but I want to say that I strongly disagree. I don't think Paul wants to lose money when he performs, but I don't believe for a minute that that making money is Paul's incentive when he plans tours or does live shows. He may be too reliant on Wix's organisational skills and may need to come out of his comfort zone a little, but this is what happens when you work with someone for 20 years.
Without hearing Paul during interviews over the course of the past 10 years, I'd agree with you - however, Paul has said in numerous interviews that he still doesn't mind turning a profit
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If Paul -- at the very least -- opens the next leg of this tour with "Save Us," this argument might marginally be put to rest.
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I can bet would make a nice concert song as well.